Identifier: theforum62newy (find matches)
Title: The Forum
Year: 1886 (1880s)
Authors: Lawrence Yates Sherman
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Publisher: New York, N.Y.: (Events Pub. Co., etc.)
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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r, there areonly two vital private purposes in American life, money-making or farming. I was a farmer as well as a lawyer,weather-wise by necessity. Therefore, in watching the stu-pendous production of the national drama called For theSafety of Democracy/ I have had a curious attitude of mindtoward it. The drama is not entirely over. We have so far beenfavored with a synopsis of the last Act, only. However,having witnessed the first two Acts involving the terrificclimax of war, and the suspended climax of peace, the lastAct may need rewriting before it is passed by Congressionalcensorship. That is an issue to be taken up in a subsequentchapter. If I were a dramatic critic, one of those fellows whohas the gift of theatrical perception, I should say that theentire drama resembles an anonymous novel, publishedmodestly about 1911, called Phillip Dru, Administrator.Few people in this great country, perhaps, realize that thereexisted such a classic of romantic fiction, and certainly few 206
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Senator Sherman Discovers the Basis of Political Morality 208 THE FORUM of them realized that it would become the basis of politicalmorality among them. In this romance I have found theplot and passion of a safe democracy. As to the success ofthe novel, there is some doubt; as to the success of its pur-pose there is no doubt whatever. A GLITTERING MENACE CONFRONTING US AI7*E are today confronted with the glittering menace ofbeing a nation converted to a government based onfiction. As fiction it is conventional, rather than material;as political nourishment it has become a sort of breakfastfood for home consumption. It has outclassed any otherpolitical fodder in this respect, that it is sweetened, whole-somely prepared; ready cooked, toothsome to the young,comforting to the toothless. It costs nothing to get it insmall or large quantities. Already babies cry for it, strongmen swallow it, cripples and sick folks thrive on it. It is afiction describing the safety of democracy that has cr

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